FAA modernization plan ready

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The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce this week a long-term effort to
accommodate an expected sharp rise in flights and passengers within an already-taxed
airspace system.

The FAA's National Airspace System Operational Evolution Plan (OEP) spells
out a series of steps to be completed by 2010 that will expand the capacity
of the airspace system to meet passenger demand. The current version of
the plan is summarized at www.caasd.org/nas-evol.

According to the plan summary, 1.9 million passengers move through the air
transportation system daily, and another 1 million passengers are expected
per day by 2010  even though today's passengers experience frequent flight
cancellations and delays.

Many of the steps involve using developing technologies, such as automated
decision support aids for controllers, satellite-based navigation, improved
cockpit displays for pilots and precision approach-equipped runways.

Included in the OEP summary is a letter dated June 5 from FAA Administrator
Jane Garvey to aviation stakeholders. The letter emphasizes the FAA's need
to become more performance-based and a need for cooperation among members
of the aviation community, including air traffic controllers, airlines,
pilots, passengers and manufacturers.

"The Operation Evolution Plan is the FAA's commitment to meet the air transportation
needs of the United States for the next 10 years, with a focus on maintaining
safety, increasing capacity and managing delays," Garvey wrote. "The OEP
will mature over time through joint community decisions. The current version
represents a credible set of initiatives to increase capacity."

From 2001 to 2010, the FAA expects to spend about $11.5 billion for facilities
and equipment to enhance capacity, according to the OEP summary.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, one of the organizations
that has helped develop the plan, released a statement Monday supporting
it. "We believe [the plan's] capacity enhancements, in combination with
the growing national urgency in building new runways, will best serve our
nation's needs in the coming decade."

Michael Wascom, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, also expressed
support for the plan. "We're encouraged and see this as a major step forward,"
he said. "The logical next step is to focus on the various initiatives,
prioritize them and fine-tune the schedules" so that the plan's steps are
worked on in a timely way, he said. However, he also stressed the need to
build more runways to meet increased demand.

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